אור הצפון • TISHREI 5776 Z 3 Y OHR HATZAFON • תשרי תשע"ו Tashlich Joseph Etra
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אור Ohr HaTzafonהצפון $ VOLUME 3 • TISHREI 5776 • BEIS HAKNESSES OF NORTH WOODMERE Ohr HaTzafon Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere Volume 3 Tishrei 5776 Beis Haknesses of North Woodmere 649 Hungry Harbor Road North Woodmere, NY 11581 www.bknw.org Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, Rav and Mara D’Asra Editorial Team Moshe Buchbinder, General Editor Moshe Grushko, General Editor Tani Sussman, Publication Lead Rob Shur, Design and Layout www.rbscreative.com TABLE OF CONTENTS $ Editors’ Preface ........................................................... p. 5 דברי פתיחה Introduction RABBI ARYEH LEBOWITZ ........................................................... p. 23 בל תוסיף of איסור The RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN ........................................................... p. 27 תשובה The Mechanics of Interpersonal Teshuvah RABBI YEHUDA SEPTIMUS ........................................................... p. 41 Rav Lichtenstein’s Message to American Jews :שובה ישראל עד ה' אלקיך GAVRI BUTLER ........................................................... p. 57 40 Days of Recreation RABBI YOSSI SCHWARTZ ........................................................... p. 77 Look Harder ERIC COHEN ........................................................... p. 83 The Concept of Teshuva: Why and How it Works MOSHE BUCHBINDER ........................................................... p. 91 ראש השנה Nashim Tzidkaniyos, Tekias Shofar and Af Hein Hayu Beoso Haneis: The Inherent Connection between Jewish Women, the Shofar and Teshuvah JEREMY HERSKOWITZ ........................................................... p. 105 עשרת ימי תשובה During the בינוני Stuck in the Middle? The Responsibility of the RABBI CHESKY GEWIRTZ ........................................................... p. 117 אור הצפון • TISHREI 5776 Z 3 Y OHR HATZAFON • תשרי תשע"ו Tashlich JOSEPH ETRA ........................................................... p. 121 Why Child Sacrifice is Appropriate for the Second Day of Rosh Hashana MICHAEL GEWIRTZ ........................................................... p. 131 הבן יקיר לי JOSEPH ETRA ........................................................... p. 135 יום כיפור Eating on Yom Kippur to Save a Fetus: Can a Mother Provide Womb Service? MICHAEL I. OPPENHEIM ........................................................... p. 141 לפני ה' תיטהרו MOSHE GRUSHKO ........................................................... p. 153 סוכות The Sukkah as a Remembrance of the Ananei Ha-Kavod: The Ability to Find Spirituality in Our Midst ELISHA GRAFF ........................................................... p. 165 The Sukkah of R' Akiva ANDREW ZIMMERMAN ........................................................... p. 173 דברי תורה בעברית בענין הקשר של קיימא בין תשובה ותורה הרב אריה ליבוביץ 203 ........................................................... מי שהיה ראשו ורובו בסוכה ושולחנו בתוך הבית הרב יהודה בלסם 195 ........................................................... בעניני תפילת הציבור ותקיעות על הסדר יונתן זאב קירשנער 187 ........................................................... תשרי תשע"ו • Z 4 Y TISHREI 5776 אור הצפון • OHR HATZAFON Editors’ Preface VeHachut HaMeshulash Lo Vimeheirah Yinasek – the cord of three twined strands does not easily break. Shlomo Hamelech, in the poetic language of Koheles, tells us that a project founded on three strong pillars is poised for longevity. With this, the publication of our third volume of Ohr HaTzafon, the BKNW and extended North Woodmere community are hopeful that indeed we will merit the opportunity to continue to be Marbitz Torah for many editions to come. While Volumes 1 and 2 were unfortunately dedicated to martyrs who died Al Kiddush Hashem, this volume, by contrast, is dedicated to the memory of a Gadol who lived Al Kiddush Hashem. Rav Aharon Lichtenstein zt’l was not only a Torah giant, influential thinker, and important local voice in Eretz Yisrael, he was a living ideal for his Talmidim and Klal Yisrael globally. His exemplary Hasmadah, quest for Emes in Torah, gentle demeanor, and wholesome values made him adored by all who knew him and an icon to those who only heard the legends. His inspiration has left an indelible mark on Klal Yisrael and we hope that this publication, dedicted Li’Iluy Nishmas Rav Aharon Ben Rav Yechiel provides a Z’chus for his Neshama. We are particularly honored that Rav Moshe Taragin, Ram at Yeshivat Har Etzion and dear Rebbe and mentor of many members of our community, has authored an article in Ohr HaTzafon, Le’iluy Nishmas his great Rebbe and Rosh Yeshiva. Rav Taragin is world renowned for his Torah, warmth, and Midos, and through these characteristics carries on the legacy of his Rebbe, Rav Aharon. Having recognized that this publication is dedicated in memory of an individual who was the paradigm of Hasmadah and Ameilus BaTorah, we wanted to share a brief idea that will hopefully inspire further Limud Torah and be an Aliyah for Rav Aharon’s Neshama. Tosafos on Sandhedrin 7a notes a contradiction between two statements of the Gemara. There, theGemara states: “Ayn Techilas Dino Shel Adam Ella Al Divrei Torah” - the beginning of one’s judgment relates to his Torah learning. However, on Shabbos 31a, the Gemara records that the very first question one is asked in judgment is whether they dealt honestly in business – "Nasata Venatata Be’Emunah," and only afterward is he then askedKava’ata Itim LaTorah. Tosafos therefore asks, which one goes first during the trial, business conduct orTorah learning? While Tosafos offers its ownTeirutzim , Rav Rephael Hamburger in Merapeh Lashon (pp. 292) provides an alternate Teretz based on a Zohar. He suggests that the two questions are each posed first, but at different trials. After death, one will אור הצפון • TISHREI 5776 Z 5 Y OHR HATZAFON • תשרי תשע"ו be asked by the Beis Din Shel Maalah to sum up whether they lived an Ehrlich life, and the discussion will entail a series of questions, the first of which is how one conducted their business affairs. But the leading question during the Din on Rosh Hashana is different. The very first question we are faced with on Rosh Hashana is: ‘how was your learning this past year’? It’s a pretty frightening question to all but the most regimented and dedicated of Masmidim. However, we were wondering, why are there two different starting questions? Why doesn’t Hashem start the interrogation with the same question both times? Perhaps the answer may be that the two interrogations serve different purposes. The end of life interrogation is one which is entirely retrospective. It involves canvassing mass amounts of time and activity to paint a holistic picture. Through an understanding of how one conducted his business, there is an immediate exhibition of one’s morals and commitment to Torah values. The first question therefore ascertains a tremendous amount of relevant data. By contrast, Rosh Hashana is not simply a backward looking holiday judging the accomplishments or failures of the past year. But rather, it is forward looking as well in that it determines the quantity and quality of one’s year ahead. Therefore, it needs a different first question to accomplish a significantly different agenda. When Hashem opens the interrogation with a question about our Torah learning, He is not simply inquiring with the superficial question of “did you learn a lot of hours last year”? Rather, He wants to know, did you value your time and use it to learn Torah? Through looking at one’s Hasmada over the past year, it informs the conversation for how one values their time on earth and by extension informs Hashem what the appropriate life allocation and quality of life should therefore be afforded to this individual during the coming year. Dedication toLimud Torah therefore is not just a localized question regarding one’s performance of the important Mitzvah of Talmud Torah, but rather it acts as the proxy for the value of life itself and informs the judgment for one’s upcoming year. Now that we have all been sufficiently frightened, the right question to ask ourselves is how do we think the beginning of the interview is going to go on Rosh Hashana? In preparation, we can go through the motions of listing all of the things that we have learned in the last 12 months, and then move to the other side of the ledger and tabulate the many (countless?) missed opportunities. Through experience we all know that this manner of introspection rarely yields a favorable outcome. However, there is excellent news. Through a heartfeltTeshuva and commitment to doing better in 5776, we can drastically improve the conversation and effect our desired results. תשרי תשע"ו • Z 6 Y TISHREI 5776 אור הצפון • OHR HATZAFON The Five Towns (and Yiddishkeit globally) is burgeoning with a tremendous number of Torah opportunities, and we have many tools at our disposal: adding a Seder, starting a Chavrusa, joining the Daf, or becoming part of a Chabura. Through a single moment of resolve today, we can demonstrate to Hashem our true value for time and life, and thereby influence ourDin this Rosh Hashana. Heading into this moment of judgment, we would once again like to thank our outstanding authors of Ohr HaTzafon who have continued to dazzle with their insightful and beautifully written Divrei Torah. As those who have previously enjoyed reading Ohr HaTzafon are aware, each of these Divrei Torah takes many hours to prepare, and that time commitment comes with tremendous personal effort and sacrifice. As such, we are resoundingly confident that during their Din this